iOS has Siri, Android has its "Ok Google", Windows has Cortana ... to believe the enthusiasm of the big names in technology for voice recognition systems, we can imagine that they have good days before them for the use of our high-tech devices.
When you have for the first time a device equipped with this kind of technology, we usually go through 3 phases:
- the effect "whaou", realizing that our device seems almost intelligent so much he understands our language, and noting the speed and the general quality of his answers,
- the period of fun, during which we will test everything with his new gadget, ask him all the questions imaginable, including the most silly (not in fact ... ESPECIALLY the most stupid), see even experimenting sessions of conversations between two smartphones.
- and usually for most, the period when we forget to use this function yet practical, just because we do not really think about it.
Here are some of the most useful feature ideas for voice recognition systems.
Call back: how to access the voice assistant?
Ok Google Siri Cotana
A little reminder that everyone leaves on the same footing.
On Android, just go to any page with the Google Toolbar (such as home screens, or the Google Now page), and tap the small microphone icon, or to pronounce the simple phrase "Ok Google". Even stronger on some devices, the possibility that the device responds even screen off (at least on the Nexus 6, Nexus 9 and Samsung Note 4, but the list is probably not exhaustive)
Note that you need the Google Now app installed for this to work, or the Google Search app. And that the function is activated of course.
On iOS, just hold down the main button until the message "What can I do for you?" appears, or by simply asking "Say Siri".
Note that it is also possible to use "Ok Google" on iOS with the Google application (the reciprocal is obviously not possible).
On Windows, simply press the microphone icon next to the search box, or say "Hey Cortana" if this function has been activated in the settings. We can also teach him how to recognize our voice so that he reacts only to us. On Windows Phone you can also press and hold the "search" button.
Good to know: Cortana also exists for iOS and Android ... but is only available in the United States at the moment.
In short, nothing very original for the 3 systems, we find the same operation startup. Too bad that we can not simply customize the sentence of call (I remember that Google could be called for a while with Ok Jarvis, which was still pretty classy)
Doing research without hands
Voice assistant research
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"Classic" research
This is the basic function that can be useful in many contexts (just think about it!), We quickly realize that it is often easier and faster to ask a question orally to your smartphone, tablet or his computer, than to tap him with his little fingers.
For any system, once voice recognition is activated, it is sufficient to clearly state its search in the same way that it would have done on a search engine (a few reminders here by the way to improve his research)
On the same principle when looking for the meaning of a word, just ask "what means ..." or "definition ..." to OK Google for us to explain.
Simple searches in conversation mode
For the 3 systems, some simple questions usually give rise to a direct voice response from the assistant: "what size does the Eiffel Tower?", "Who is the President of the United States?"
Technological evolution now makes them capable of responding in the form of conversation, which is probably the most impressive: if we start by asking "what is the capital of Quebec?", We can continue with "number of inhabitants?" just after the answer of the assistant, so that he understands that the second question is related to the first.
Image search
We have all seen the Google TV ad where the user asks his smartphone "show me pictures of cupcake" (no?), It is indeed a practical function that can also be found on other systems (in any case for Ok Google and Siri, because for Cortana I did not really succeed in my tests).
It is possible to be quite precise in its request, adding for example a place and a date: "show me photos of Paris last July".
Check your device
Voice assistant command device
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Open applications
A very convenient function to use his device almost without hands, the ability to open applications via voice commands.
We can imagine that one day the applications themselves will be driven entirely in this way, and that one will be able to leave one's hands deep in one's pockets.
Several words can be used to achieve his ends: "open Facebook", "Twitter launches" ...
Control the functions of your device
A little in the same spirit, but it is this time directly the hardware of his device that can be controlled by the voice, which is always bluffing the first time: "take a picture", "turn on the flashlight", "cut the Wi-Fi" ...
Rather useful on smartphones, I did not succeed with Cortana on PC.
Control your music
If you store music files on your device, you'll probably be happy to be able to start your favorite song or band without even having to move a finger.
"listen to Machine Head" is enough to OK Google to launch Google Play Music with one of my favorite songs. The class.
Manage your time
Assitant vocal organization tasks agenda
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Set appointments on his calendar, and reminders
Our smartphones are very practical tools to manage our schedules, I think we all agree. The addition of an appointment or reminder always requires several manipulations to enter the subject, date, time, any reminders ...
Voice commands can greatly simplify this process. For example, you can ask Ok Google or Siri:
"Remind me to call John at 18:00". Or :
"Create the agenda event for dinner in Marseille, Saturday at 19:00"
For Cortana it is a little more complex, it will begin by asking: "New Appointment", then answer the various questions asked (date and time, subject)
Set alarms and countdowns
Another ultra-practical function to organize, the possibility of adding in a few words an alarm on his mobile device, or even if need a countdown.
On Google and iOS, a phrase like "Set an alarm for 7:00 every Friday morning" will do the trick.
On Cortana "Alarm at 7am" works, but if we add "every Thursday" it tends to be wrong (in any case it seemed complicated during my tests).
Communicate
Voice assistant communicate
flickr photo / Marjan Lazarevski
Call your contacts, send them SMS or emails
Telephoning without hands is also possible with voice recognition, and this can be useful in many situations.
You can have fun trying to "call mom", or "Send an SMS to Julien to tell him I'm five minutes late" for example. Tested on Android, it goes perfectly anyway.
For the mails the procedure may seem a little more complicated, but it is still affordable:
"Send an e-mail to Christine, object news shoes, message, I can not wait for you to see my new shoes, end point"
Open an Internet page
If you can directly launch an application as we have seen above, we can then say that it is easy to launch his favorite browser with a phrase like "Launch Firefox", or "Open Chrome".
But it's also possible to go directly to the homepage of a site simply by asking "go to coreight.com".
Convenient.
Identify yourself
Voice assistant GPS situation
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Use navigation
It is easy to imagine that one of the most practical uses for voice recognition systems is when you can not absolutely free your hands, for example driving your car.
More and more smartphone users using their device as a GPS, can control them to the voice is a great help.
"Route to Toulouse" will usually be sufficient to launch the GPS directly to the desired destination.
Know what's around you
In the same spirit, what's more practical than just asking "Where is the nearest bakery?" to his smartphone or tablet, as one could have done to a passerby in the street?
Well, it does not forbid us to address the words to people, but let's face it we almost believe in a science fiction film ;-)
Translate a sentence quickly
Voice assistant translation
This is for me one of the most impressive technological evolutions of the last years, and one that should still progress strongly: the ability of tools such as Google Translate to understand our voice, and translate it into another language.
The conversation mode of Google Translation is also very bluffing, as well as the recent function of real-time translation of texts in augmented reality. This would deserve a complete article on occasion.
If I recommend the use of a full application for intensive use, voice assistants like Ok Google and Siri are perfectly capable of responding very quickly to a query like "How do you say thank you in Czech?"
Cortana seems to limit herself to launching a search engine that then takes care of the translation.
To take notes
Voice assistant taking notes
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If at one time the small portable audio recorder was the pinnacle of modernity, we must admit that it took a big shot of old with our smartphones capable of doing much more.
But the basic idea of being able to take notes simply with one's voice is still relevant.
It will suffice to say "New note: write an article on the voice assistants", or "Note for myself: the number is 42" Ok Google for it to record this text in the application of notes defined by default.
Siri will be able to manage with "Note that I owe 10 euros to Stephanie", then will be able to find her little ones with "Find my note on Stéphanie".
Cortana on Windows 10 replied laconically "I'm sorry, I can not take notes at the moment. Try again after a future update". Too bad, but there is hope.
Get a lot of useful info
Voice assistant useful information
flickr photo / albyantoniazzi
Check the weather
One of the functions that I use almost every day: I put my smartphone near me when I get ready in the morning, and if I have a doubt about the appropriate attire I ask him "What time will it do today? hui? "
It is also possible to specify as much the date as the place to prepare his weekend or holidays.
A must.
Do calculations and conversions
"Convert 16 ounces to kilos", "What is the square root of 2209?" ...
The kind of questions that can be asked, which will be long to type on the keyboard of his smartphone, while the voice command provides an answer in seconds, usually accurate.
And much more !
In bulk, some additional practical information that can be asked of the voice assistant (to test according to configurations):
- the opening hours of the shops,
- the scores of his favorite teams,
- the next cinema sessions,
- the information of air transport (by specifying the number of the flight),
- the status of a package that is expected,
- stock market prices.
I hope I have given you some ideas to finally use your voice assistant usefully (instead of making silly questions contests ;-)
I found overall in my tests that Siri and Ok Google include rather large tirades to record information (see calendar, alarm ...), while Cortana requires cutting into several parts (we ask the function of base, then answer his questions).
In any case, it is an already impressive technology but whose future is even more promising. When we think that Facebook also wants to market with its "M", and that Mark Zuckerberg dreams of having his "Jarvis" as in Iron Man, we have probably not finished talking to our machines.
